by Bianca Cole
My heart skips a beat. “So, you don’t think they’re just for kids?”
She shakes her head frantically. “No, it pisses me off when people say that.”
I smile and settle down beside her, grabbing a plate and covering my pancakes in syrup.
There’s an easiness between us I’ve never experienced with a woman before. I normally feel awkward as hell if I have to linger around a woman I’ve fucked. With Ellie, it feels natural to sit here in silence, eating together.
Ellie hasn’t asked me again why I brought her here. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure of the answer. When I saw those men attacking her, I snapped. There’s a voice inside my head, saying the same notion repeatedly.
She’s mine.
And, she is. Even if she doesn’t realize it yet, I’m never letting her go. Ellie is mine to protect, mine to take, mine to hold forever.
11
Ellie
I’m going out of my mind holed up in this room. Leo insists I can’t be seen by anyone and have to stay in the room, but this is becoming a joke. I’ve been here for a week now.
Ashley went mad when I told her the whole story, finally turning my phone back on two days later. Although, she’s glad I’m alive. I promised to text or call her everyday to let her know I’m okay.
Leo is often out most of the day and comes back late, and I just sit here watching bullshit TV. Not to mention, he hasn’t touched me since he bought me here. Maybe my scars put him off, they’re not exactly feminine and attractive.
My chest aches at the thought of him no longer being attracted to me. Leo has touched me in a way no one has before. Despite being the brutal mafia boss, he’s also caring and kind. A man I can feel myself falling for, even if I don’t want to.
There’s no doubt I need to get out of here, but I’m not sure if I’m free to leave or not. Leo hasn’t told me why he is keeping me shut up in here. The problem is I’m not sure I’ve got the guts to question him. I’m lucky to be alive after attempting to steal from the guy.
My eyes fix onto the door and I’m considering leaving. What is the worst that can happen?
Fuck it.
All I’ve got is my handbag. I sling it over my shoulder and walk toward the door, certain I can remember how to get out of this mansion. As soon as I get to the back entrance, I’ll just run away.
It can’t be that hard, can it? The door is locked, so I pull a hairpin out of my hair and force it into the lock. It takes a little while to maneuver the lock, but after a few minutes, the lock clicks open.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and open the door. It’s silent in the corridor and I glance out, hoping there’s no one around.
All is clear so I step into the hallway and head right, toward the back staircase. We came in here without being seen, so I’m sure I’ll get out without being seen too. It’s just once I get outside when it gets complicated.
The drive to this place has to be at least a mile, maybe further. How am I going to walk that without getting caught? I shrug to myself, deciding I’ll figure it out as I go. This is what I do best—improvise.
I hurry down the hallway and come to the staircase. With a quick glance down, I’m sure it’s clear. My heart is pounding against my rib cage, as I descend to the ground floor.
Once there, I check each way in the corridor and then turn right, remembering the way Leo brought me in. My fingers itch at the sight of that same original Picasso painting that would fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I walk on passed, knowing stealing from the Romano Mafia once and getting caught is silly, but twice is pushing it too far. The back door comes into view as I turn left, tasting the freedom already. My feet can’t carry me any quicker toward that door, I’m running for it.
I swing open the door, and slam straight into a hard, muscular body. A pair of hands land on my shoulders, and I scream. Leo’s woody scent fills my nostrils, before I glance up at him.
I could place his strong, masculine scent anywhere. His beautiful blue eyes are wild with rage as he gazes down at me. “Where the fuck are you going?” he growls.
I really can’t catch a fucking break lately. My stomach dips and I swallow hard, accepting I’ve been caught. I think my mojo is off at the moment. It seems like everything that could go wrong does these past few weeks. “Leaving,” I say, stepping back from him and keeping my shoulders straight.
He hasn’t told me I can’t leave, so what the fuck is his problem?
“Where were you going to go?” he asks, eyes narrowing.
I shrug. “I’m going fucking nuts locked in your room all the time.”
He grabs hold of my arm forcefully and drags me back inside, marching me up the stairs toward his room. “Get the fuck off me,” I snap, trying to writhe from his grip.
“Keep it down or I’ll gag you,” he hisses, fury painting his features.
My heart patters hard and fast. I’ve never seen Leo this angry and it scares me. I know what happens when men get angry. He opens the door to the bedroom and yanks me inside, slamming the door so hard it makes me jump.
He stares at me like a lunatic, eyes frantic and nostrils flared. I know the signs. Instead of looking at him, I keep my eyes fixed to the floor. The thought of him hitting me makes my chest ache, but it’s what always happens. Leo Romano is no doubt the same.
“Why were you trying to leave?” he asks, voice calmer than I’d expected.
I look up to see him breathing deeply. “I’m fed up of being stuck in this room.” I set my hands on my hips. “Not to mention, ever since you have seen my scars you won’t touch me, anyway.”
His nostrils flare again and his jaw clenches.
“I get it, they’re ugly and they put you off, so why don’t you just let me go?” I ask, trying to stay tough, despite knowing who I’m talking to.
Leo growls, eyes filled with a fire that makes my knees wobble. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
I raise my eyebrow. “Why haven’t you touched me then?”
He shakes his head and blows out a long breath. For a moment, I’m sure he’s not going to answer, until he speaks softly, “Because, if I slap you and tie you up the way I crave, then I’m as bad as the man that inflicted those scars on you.” He lets his shoulders slump and eyes drop to the floor.
It takes me aback hearing that from him. He’s wrong, though. The men that did this to me were cruel and did it to hurt me. When Leo inflicts pain during sex, it’s only for my pleasure. Surely, he can see the difference.
Before I can reconsider it, I’m walking to his side. “That’s not true,” I say, cupping his chin in my hands and forcing him to look at me. “You’ve only ever given me pleasure, whereas they did it to hurt me.”
“They?” he asks, eyes curious.
I swallow and nod. “First it was my dad and then my ex-boyfriend,” I say, averting his gaze and dropping my hands.
Leo’s hands clench into fists by his side. “I’ll kill both of them,” he says, voice full of danger.
I shake my head. “My dad already died, six years ago. My-ex isn’t worth it.”
He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into him. “You’re worth it,” he says, gazing into my eyes with a fond kindness burning in them. It’s surprising how safe and protected he makes me feel. Leo is different to the other men I’ve had in my life. I can tell that as I gaze into his bright, vibrant eyes. He’d never hurt me, not really.
His lips meet mine in a soft and tender kiss that makes me ache for him. I’d vowed to myself when I left Bruce, no more men. Leo turned up on the same fucking day, and I’m falling for him. This can only end in heartache, but I can’t stop myself.
I wrap my arms around his neck and press my body tightly to him, deepening the kiss. The more time I spend with this man, the more I feel for him. It’s a dangerous notion, considering Leo Romano is renowned for his playboy ways.
He’s the mob underboss of the most po
werful mafia family in the country. It means he can have whoever he wants and do whatever he wants. Why would he want me? A worthless thief who can offer him nothing. I try to push the doubts from my mind, focusing on enjoying the moment, wrapped in his strong arms.
His fingers tease under my shirt and he pulls it over my head, exposing my lacy bra and scars. I tense, feeling vulnerable and exposed as his eyes rake over my scars. “Beautiful,” he says, eyes full of fire.
He unclips my bra from behind and then groans as my breasts spill free. It’s the first time he’s had me this naked in front of him.
His eyes dilate with pure longing as he captures my hard nipple in his mouth, making my back arch. He does the same to the other one and I claw onto him for support, feeling my legs turn to jelly.
Leo controls my body in a way I never knew possible. It feels like we fit together. Two halves of a whole the moment he touches me.
I pull his shirt out of the waistband of his pants and unbutton them, but he stops me. His hand closing around mine gently and forcing them around his neck, as he hoists me into his arms and walks toward the bed.
He sets me down in the middle of it, staring down at me with a fierce hunger that makes me wetter than ever. I moan as he unbuttons his shirt, revealing his hard, chiseled chest to me for the first time.
The other times we’ve fucked he’s always been clothed. He is beautiful with dark tattoos scrolling across his muscular chest and arms, making my mouth dry.
He lowers himself onto me, allowing me free rein to run my hands across his tanned, soft skin. The first time I’ve touched him like this. Leo captures my lips with his and there’s a gentleness I’ve not felt before from him. It makes me long for more.
It’s clear this twisted thing between us is becoming deeper, and I’m not sure I would survive it if he put an end to what is going on here.
12
Leo
The need to be inside this woman is driving me wild, as she moans into my mouth. It’s been torture this past week, sleeping in the same bed but not fucking her. The inability to know how to treat her after seeing how badly she’s been hurt before.
Her reassurance that the way I treated her was different to the people who had hurt her previously, alleviates some of the guilt. I lower myself over her, kissing her gently.
For the first time, I intend be tender with a woman. It seems crazy how much this girl has affected me in such a short space of time.
Those harshly beautiful scars make her nervous. I could see it in the way she withdrew when I pulled her shirt off.
My fingers run lightly over one scar running across her tummy and she tenses. She’s so self-conscious, which is ridiculous. Her scars make her no less beautiful to me. “You are stunning,” I mutter, kissing her neck and trailing them gently down to her collarbone.
I bite her collarbone, making her moan beneath me. Her fingers tangle in my hair as I trail kisses down her tummy, kissing the scars on her skin softly.
She flinches at first and then relaxes into it. “Leo,” she moans my name in a way that makes my balls tingle.
I keep moving down her body, teasing at her lower abdomen. Her thighs are visibly shaking with anticipation as I move passed her arousal and kiss them gently.
“Please, Leo,” she moans, clawing at the bed sheets.
I kiss her over the fabric of her thong, teasing her with my lips. I pull away the sticky, wet fabric, discarding it on the floor. Then, I lick her center, tasting her sweet nectar. It is like fucking honey. My fingers delve inside of her and I move my lips to her sensitive nub, sucking gently.
“Oh,” she moans, bucking her hips toward my mouth.
I push her further, forcing her hips up and exposing her asshole. My tongue traces lightly over her forbidden hole and then all the way down to her sensitive nub. She shudders beneath me, whimpering in a way that makes my cock leak into my restrictive boxer briefs.
Sitting back on my haunches, I undo my belt and move to free myself from my pants. Ellie watches me with pure longing burning brightly in her blue eyes. I free myself from my pants and boxer briefs and her lips part.
I shift between her thighs and lick her again, slipping a thick finger inside of her wet heat. She bucks and moans, eyes rolling back in her head. I finger her slowly, feeling her muscles tightening around my finger.
“Turn over,” I groan, hands tight on her hips.
She does as I say, shifting onto her her hands and knees in front of me. I fist myself in my hand, taking a mental picture of how beautiful she looks. I tease my finger inside of her again, hooking it in a way that makes her thighs shake.
“Slap me,” she moans, bucking back toward me. Her ass teasingly high in the air, goading me to slap it and turn it a perfect red color.
I hesitate, biting on my lip and staring down at her. It’s clear she enjoys it during sex, but after seeing those scars I’m sure she been through abuse in her life. It doesn’t feel right because for once in my Godforsaken life, I actually give a shit about her.
“Please, Leo. I want you to,” she moans, glancing back at me.
After a few more moments hesitation, I give her a quick nod. I can’t tell her what she should or shouldn’t want. She wouldn’t beg me for it if she didn’t like it. My hand comes down in an erotic and tender slap, making her squeal with pleasure.
A knock at the door has us both freezing and staring at each other. This is the first time we’ve been interrupted since she arrived here.
“Who the hell is that?” she hisses, eyes wide.
“Keep quiet and I will deal with it,” I whisper, pressing a finger to my lips. I shift from the bed, searching for my boxer briefs. They’re on the floor and I slip them on quickly.
Ellie ducks under the covers, hiding herself.
I swing open the door, and Kane is standing on the other side, eyebrow raised. The light affects my eyes and I squint up at him.
“Cavino has stolen Jasmine, I need you to come with me now.”
Fuck.
It’s the morning of Kane’s wedding to Jasmine, and Ellie’s attempted escape totally derailed me. The reason I’d been out the back was because I was supposed to be supervising the catering delivery. I glance over my shoulder at the girl in my bed, then back at Kane.
I nod. “Give me two minutes, and I’ll meet you out front.”
Kane’s eyes narrow and he cranes his neck, trying to look passed me. The guy knows something's up. Who am I kidding? Kane’s instincts are second to none. I keep the door angled, so he can’t get a glimpse of the woman in my bed.
I stare him out, willing him to probe me on who I’ve got in here. Kane isn’t the kind of guy to stick his nose in other people’s business. He’s not one to pry, not normally anyway. After a few more beats, he nods his head and turns away.
I let out a long breath of relief, as I shut the door.
Ellie is staring at me with wide eyes.
“I’m sorry, I’ve got to go.” I shift to grab my shirt and pants off the table, getting them on quickly. “It’s an emergency,” I explain, not looking at her.
It’s not exactly great timing, but I can’t help it. My brother needs me.
“What has happened?” she asks, shifting to the edge of the bed.
I move toward her and kiss her gently. “Nothing you need to worry about. Stay put and I’ll see you shortly.”
She kisses me back with a hot and fiery need, and when I pull away, she swallows hard. I can tell she’s concerned.
“Once I’m back, we’ll pick up where we left off,” I say, winking at her.
It tears me up to turn away from her and leave her alone, but my brother needs me right now.
I rush out of my room without another word and shut the door, locking it behind me. The risk of someone else discovering her is too great to leave the door unlocked. If I’d lingered any longer, I may not have been able to leave her.
Any of our men could think she has broken in if she tries to leave again,
I can’t risk her being harmed by them. All I can think about is Ellie, as I head out of the front door and onto the drive.
Rick and Kane are already in an SUV with the engine running. I open the backdoor, jumping in. “Shit, sorry I held you guys up.”
Rick steps on the gas almost immediately, jerking me against the seat. “What the hell happened?” I ask.
There’s a beat of tense silence, as Rick glances over at Kane. He gives him a short nod, before staring out of the window.”
“It seems Jaz betrayed us and allowed Cavino into the house to see Jasmine,” Rick replies.
Kane sits still, muscles tense.
“He snatched her and left a ransom note.” Rick turns left out of our driveway toward the highway, foot flat to the floor. “They snatched her from her room, and it wasn’t until they were down in the main hallway that I saw her. I tried to run after her, but they were too quick.”
“How did she look?” Kane asks, the guy sounds cut up. I’ve never seen him like this.
“A little beaten up, but she’s alive,” Rick replies.
I can’t imagine how I’d feel if someone snatched Ellie like that. Not to mention, I’d have no idea where to find her. At least Kane has an idea where she is.
“How beaten up?” Kane asks in a dangerous tone. A tone I know well. Rick glances at him briefly. “She had a busted-up face and some bruises.”
“Motherfucker,” Kane shouts, punching the dashboard hard.
He has it bad for this girl. I mean I knew he did, considering he was marrying her, but I’ve never seen him like this. “She’ll be fine, brother. Alex isn’t stupid enough to hurt her badly, especially since he thinks you’ll pay him a ransom,” I say, trying to calm him down. When Kane is out of control, things can escalate far too quickly. His brutal rage has always been a strength, but it can be a weakness at times too.
“It doesn’t mean I want to kill him any less for it,” Kane mutters, voice calmer.
